


huggy boi

by deducingontheroof



Series: sf18 bonus round fills [14]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Brief Referenced Transphobia, Depression, Dysphoria, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Insecurity, Insomnia, Non-binary Akaashi, gender feels, implied eating disorder, selective mutism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-02
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-06-20 22:35:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15543627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deducingontheroof/pseuds/deducingontheroof
Summary: Bokuto gives the best hugs.





	huggy boi

**Author's Note:**

> we love you bokuto-san
> 
> prompt:  
> best hugger - bokuto

Washio doesn’t feel like talking today.

It’s nothing new, for him to be silent, but today feels different. There’s a weird energy in the air around him, and he’s already dreading spending the day with his captain, who’s anything but silent.

It’s ironic. Just as he’s thinking of his captain, Bokuto appears next to him, a grin on his face and a twinkle in his eyes.

“Morning, Washio!! How’s it goin’? Ready for practice?”

Washio stays silent, shrugging one shoulder and fixing his eyes on the ground.

“Fair enough,” Bokuto laughs, surprising Washio. “Me, I’m having a great morning, as always!! I’m excited to practice! Hey, let’s walk together!”

Washio has no reason to protest, so he falls into step beside Bokuto, listening as his captain starts spouting long streams of cheerful words, talking his ear off about everything he can think of and nothing in particular. His voice fills the silence, and Washio feels that energy around him start to dissipate. He even manages a smile.

Bokuto notices, because despite what people think, he’s observant. His grin goes from ear to ear.

“I don’t care if you don’t feel like talking, Washio!” Bokuto assures, “I’ll talk enough for both of us!!! Do you want a hug?”

Washio nods, moisture beading up in the corners of his eyes. He’s determined not to cry, but Bokuto’s not making it easy for him.

Seconds later, strong arms wrap firmly around Washio’s waist, holding him tightly and lovingly. Washio lets his head rest on Bokuto’s shoulder, his eyelids sliding closed as he enjoys the safety and warmth Bokuto’s embrace brings.

Bokuto gives the best hugs.

-

Konoha hates the fact that he doesn’t have a singular talent.

He doesn’t like being a jack of all trades, master of none. He’s good at a lot of things, but he’s not great at anything.

It hurts.

He’d trade his versatility in a heartbeat for the chance to be great. He wants to be noticed, and he wants to be appreciated.

“Hey hey hey, Konoha!!” Bokuto chirps, appearing out of nowhere and slinging an arm over his shoulder. “How goes it? How’s my favourite jack of all trades?”

“Don’t call me that,” he snaps without thinking. Bokuto’s the last person he’d ever want to snap at, but it’s a reflex. He’s in his head, and he can’t stand the title.

Bokuto doesn’t flinch away, though, nor does he get upset. Instead, he lets his hand slide off of Konoha’s shoulders, turning to face him.

“You doing alright?” Bokuto asks, eyes sharpened perceptively.

“Damn it, Bokuto-san, you know I can’t lie to you,” Konoha complains with a weak laugh. “Nah, I’m having a hard time right now.”

“I know all about that, don’t worry,” Bokuto laughs, “You wanna talk about it? You can tell your trusty captain anything!! My lips are sealed!”

“Not really,” Konoha admits, fidgeting. “But could I have—”

He cuts himself off, but Bokuto gets the message, tugging him in and enveloping him in warmth and compassion and love. Konoha sniffs, forcing back tears, and lets himself melt into Bokuto’s strong, unmoving arms. 

Bokuto gives the best hugs.

-

Kaori hisses quietly as she realizes that she’s biting her nails again. She’d thought that she’d beaten the habit, but she’s been catching herself doing it more and more frequently, especially as of late.

She can see Yukie across the gym, a wide grin on her face, and her thumb creeps towards her mouth again as a heat spreads up her face.

Yukie’s gorgeous.

No, Yukie’s fucking radiant. Kaori doesn’t have anything to compare Yukie to because she’s never felt what she’s been feeling about Yukie before, ever.

Kaori’s gay.

She’s definitely gay, and it would probably break her old man’s heart. She doesn’t know how her team would take it, either, or her gran. She knows, without any room for doubt, that she’s gay, but the concept of opening up about that to the people she loves seems more difficult than anything she’s had to do before.

She doesn’t even realize that she’s chewing on her thumb again until Bokuto’s next to her, tugging her hand away.

“Thought you’d stopped doing that, Kaori,” he chastises, perceptive eyes meeting her own. “What’s up? Nervous about something? You can talk to your captain! I can keep a secret!!”

“I’m not nervous,” Kaori protests quickly, but she knows that Bokuto can hear the dishonesty in her voice. People think he’s dumb, but he’s the most perceptive person she’s ever met.

“Are you sure?” He raises an eyebrow, and she sighs.

She hesitates for a moment before asking, “Promise you won’t tell anyone?”

“Cross my heart,” he says solemnly.

She chews on her lip, trying to work up the nerve. Before she can overthink it, she blurts out, “I’m gay.”

“Me too,” Bokuto shrugs, grinning at her. “I don’t blame you! Yukie’s gorgeous, isn’t she?”

“She’s stunning,” Kaori agrees dreamily, catching her hand before it can find it’s way back into her mouth. “I’m just— I’ve been so worried, about how people would react.”

“If anyone tries anything, I’ll beat them up,” Bokuto tells, “There’s nothing wrong with being gay, Kaori! Trust me! I’m your senpai, so I’d know!!”

Kaori smiles, and she feels tears building up. “Thank you, Bokuto-san.”

He grins, yanking her in and hugging her tightly, lifting her bodily off of the ground. She shrieks playfully as he spins her around, her legs kicking helplessly in the air.

“Oi, Bokuto!! Stop harassing my kouhai!” Yukie shouts from across the gym, and Kaori giggles, nuzzling into Bokuto’s neck and letting him spin her.

Bokuto gives the best hugs.

-

Onaga tucks his hands into his pockets as he leans against the wall, watching as everyone walks down the hallway, smiling and chatting.

He wants to be like them.

He wants to be able to walk down the hallway talking to a friend, a classmate, an acquaintance. He wants that more than anything, but he can’t. He just can’t be like them.

He’s invisible.

He still doesn’t know why, but no one notices him. No one talks to him when he’s around, and no one cares when he’s gone. He’s like a ghost in this school, drifting aimlessly through the halls.

He just wants to be seen. He wants to have friends. He wants his classmates to remember his name. It sounds stupid in his mind, but it’s all he wants.

He feels a tear fall onto his cheek, but he can’t bring himself to care. It’s not like anyone’s going to notice him, anyways. He could stand there all afternoon and cry his damn eyes out, and there’s no one who would even notice that he’s there.

Suddenly, there’s an arm around his shoulders, and he’s being dragged down the hallway. He blinks up in surprise, and Bokuto grins back at him.

“Don’t think I didn’t notice that you’ve been ditching us at lunch, Onaga!” Bokuto accuses teasingly, pulling him over to the stairs. “You’re coming up to the roof!! Yukie and Akaashi are waiting! You can’t argue!!!”

Another tear streaks down his cheek, but it’s different. It’s not a sad tear. No, a tear falls down his cheek as he smiles up at his captain.

“I didn’t think anyone noticed me,” Onaga confesses, and Bokuto clicks his tongue.

“Course I notice you!! I’m your senpai!” Bokuto grins, shoving a confident thumb against his chest. “You’ve gotta start eating with us more, cus you’re funny when you’re around! Akaashi always laughs at your jokes!!!!”

Onaga can’t hold back a laugh at that, and before he can think about what he’s doing, he wraps his arms around Bokuto’s neck, burying his face in his captain’s shoulder. Bokuto laughs softly, fondly, and hugs him back, firm arms around his waist with just enough pressure to lift him slightly off of the ground. In this moment, Onaga feels like he belongs.

Bokuto gives the best hugs.

-

Sarukui stares at himself in the mirror, sallow skin and dark eyes prominent. They were prominent to him, at least.

He can’t look at himself and see someone who’s happy because he knows that he’s not. He hasn’t been happy for a long time. It’s obvious to him, but no one else seems to notice that he’s struggling.

He lets his face relax, and his mouth falls into a smile.

He hates it.

No matter how much he’s hurting inside, he can’t stop smiling. His face just looks permanently amused, and no one thinks to question it. If he’s smiling, then he’s happy, right? If he’s smiling, then nothing could possibly be wrong, right?

It almost makes him laugh, because that can’t be farther from the truth.

He sighs, turning on the tap and splashing cold water on his face. It doesn’t help his appearance, but it does calm him down a bit.

The bathroom door swings open, and Bokuto pokes his head in, spotting Sarukui and grinning.

“Saru!! What’s up? Are you skipping class?” Bokuto asks, shaking his head in mock disapproval and leaning against the counter next to him.

“Are you?” Sarukui fires back, chewing on the inside of his cheek. Bokuto won’t notice that anything’s wrong. No one notices, because Sarukui’s always smiling—

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Bokuto asks, his eyebrows rising and his voice concerned. “You don’t look so good.”

“I look the same as always, Bokuto,” Sarukui tells simply, not answering Bokuto’s questions. He’s so used to his struggles going unnoticed that he doesn’t know how to respond now that Bokuto has noticed.

“Yeah, exactly. You don’t look so good,” Bokuto repeats, “What’s wrong?”

As Bokuto acknowledges his constant mental state at last, it’s too much for Sarukui, and he bursts into tears. He wants to say something, anything, but his words catch in his throat as he chokes out a sob.

Warmth encircles him as Bokuto tugs him in close, and he lets his face fall against Bokuto’s shoulder as he lets out another sob.

“Sorry,” he mumbles.

“Don’t be!! You can cry on my shoulder any time,” Bokuto promises, and Sarukui manages a genuine smile for the first time in what feels like years.

Bokuto gives the best hugs.

-

Komi stifles a yawn, letting his head fall back against the wall. He’s exhausted. 

He’s always exhausted these days.

When he was a kid, he never had any trouble sleeping. It was straightforward, like the rest of his routine; wake up, do whatever he has to do for the day, and go to bed. Simple.

It’s not simple anymore.

These days, Komi finds himself staring at the ceiling more often than not, glaring endlessly at patterns and stains and shadows as the moon moves through the sky. Sometimes he’s almost drifted off when a mistake he’d made in practice comes to the front of his mind, and he spends the next hour or two or five dissecting plays and passes and critiquing every move he remembers making.

It’s taking a toll on him, and it shows. He swallows another yawn as he thinks of his plummeting grades, his frequent mistakes in practice, even his declined interest in socializing. He’s a loud person, he knows that, but he really hasn’t been that loud lately.

He really hasn’t been…

“Oi!! Komi!!!”

He blinks hard, looking up at Bokuto’s tilted head.

“How did you get there?” he asks, unable to suppress a loud yawn this time.

“You totally fell asleep,” Bokuto tells, shaking his head in mock disappointment. “I walked right up to you, and it took, like, five minutes to wake you up.”

“Oh,” Komi says simply, pressing the heels of his hands against his eyes and forcing himself to his feet. “Sorry, captain. Did you need something?”

“Yeah, I need to make sure you’re okay,” Bokuto declares, poking his cheek. Komi scowls and bats weakly at the offending hand. “Have you been sleeping?”

“Perceptive as always,” Komi laughs, letting his hands fall resignedly to his sides. “I’ve been struggling to fall asleep recently, but it’s not a big deal. I’ll get over it. I’ve got to.”

His arms get pinned to his sides as Bokuto hugs him suddenly, and he stiffens momentarily before letting himself relax. Bokuto’s warm, and he’s safe, and Komi loves him almost as much as he loves Komi.

He melts into the affectionate embrace, and his eyelids flutter. Bokuto chuckles knowingly.

“Go ahead and sleep. I’ll wake you up.”

Komi vaguely registers being lowered to the ground, Bokuto’s arms never wavering around him, and he sighs happily. 

Bokuto gives the best hugs.

-

Yukie gazes sadly down at her bento. Her mama’s made her the most delicious teriyaki with rice, like always, and she can’t wait to eat it, but.

But.

One of her classmates teasingly told her that she’s going to get fat if she keeps eating like a boy, and that statement has cut right to the bone.

She pokes her stomach experimentally, and a wave of dread rolls over her as she realizes that no, she’s not as fit as she was in junior high, and maybe her classmate has a point.

She sighs and sets her bento aside, letting her head fall back and staring at the sky.

It’s hardly the first time she’s felt insecure about her weight, but it’s the first time that someone’s pointed it out like that. It almost confirms what she’s already been anxious about. She loves food. Nothing makes her happier than a well-cooked meal, but she doesn’t work out enough to just eat whatever she wants.

Not that she has time to work out, between classes and managing the club and preparing for university, but that’s just another reason to start watching what she eats.

The door to the roof swings open, and Bokuto bounces out, a grin on his face as he spots her.

“Yukie!!!!” he crows in greeting, flopping down next to her and pulling out his own bento. “How’s it going?”

“It’s going,” she says with a laugh.

He looks at her for a second, his brow creasing as he notices her abandoned bento. “Hey hey hey, why aren’t you eating?”

She winces, looking away. She knows better than to try and hide things from Bokuto.

“I’m not hungry?” she tries, but his eyes narrow.

“Don’t try and lie to me, Yukie!” he rebukes playfully, nudging her shoulder. “Is this about what Fukui said this morning?”

She shrugs, and he sighs, shifting to face her.

“Yukie, listen to me, okay? You’re beautiful, and you can eat whatever you want,” he tells, “Food makes you happy, right? That’s all that matters!! If you’re happy, then Fukui can go be unhappy somewhere else.” 

She groans, but a small smile crosses her face. “Why are you always right.”

“Because I’m super smart!!” Bokuto declares with a grin, “Now get over here.”

She crawls into his lap and throws her arms around her neck. His arms curl tightly around her waist, holding her close and making her feel safe. Something about Bokuto’s hugs just makes her feel so warm and loved, and she forgets all about silly worries.

Bokuto gives the best hugs.

-

Akaashi pulls aer knees up to their chest, letting aer forehead fall forward against them. This hasn’t been a good day for aer, not at all.

Some dickhead in their gym class had called aer out for wearing eyeliner, and now aer entire body felt wrong. Ae was too feminine, yet ae wasn’t feminine enough, and it was all wrong.

Ae has been trying to make sense of aer gender for months, if not years, and ae still hasn’t figured it out. 

Ae sighs, feeling a tear roll down aer cheek, and buries aer face further into aer knees.

It hasn’t been easy.

Nothing’s been easy for aer since ae realized that ae wasn’t a girl. Aer body didn’t line up with who ae was, which was hard enough. Between gendered uniforms and societal stereotypes and prevalent transphobia, every day is a struggle to try and get people to see aer for who ae is, rather than what ae looks like.

Ae’s beyond thankful for Bokuto.

Bokuto, who’d somehow persuaded the principal to let Akaashi alternate between the male and the female uniforms. Bokuto, who often shows up at aer gym class to check in on aer. Bokuto, who’d cancelled practice one day to host an impromptu lesson on how to use Akaashi’s pronouns.

Ae’s beyond thankful for Bokuto. He makes aer life so much easier.

But it’s still not easy.

Dysphoria is shit. It’s the worst thing Akaashi’s ever felt, and it’s exactly what ae’s feeling right now.

Aer cheeks feel wet, and ae knows that ae’s crying, undoubtedly making the eyeliner drip and run down aer face.

Ae wants to go home.

“Agkaaaaashji!!!” ae hears Bokuto call from somewhere along the path, but ae can’t bring aerself to respond. Instead, ae stays silent as ae hears footsteps approaching.

“Hey hey hey, what’s going on?” he greets cheerfully.

Ae lifts aer head, meeting Bokuto’s eyes, and his face immediately shifts as he sees aer tear-streaked cheeks.

“Keiji, are you okay?” he asks quietly, kneeling in front of aer.

“No,” ae confess truthfully, wiping at aer face with aer sleeve. “No, I’m not.”

He gently cups Keiji’s face, wiping away a tear with his thumb. “What do you need?”

“I want to go home,” ae admits, sniffling. “Today’s been so hard, Bokuto-san.”

“It’s all gonna be okay,” Bokuto promises, a soft smile on his face. “I’ll take you home, okay?”

Akaashi sniffles again and nods. Bokuto suddenly shoots forwards, wrapping his arms around aer shoulders. Ae stiffens momentarily, but quickly relaxes into Bokuto’s arms. Ae tries to get aer breathing under control, tries to stop the tears from dripping down aer cheeks, and if anything could help aer do that, it’s the warmth and comfort of Bokuto’s embrace.

“Thank you, Bokuto-san,” ae mumbles genuinely. 

“Don’t even mention it, Keiji,” Bokuto responds, and Akaashi can really hear the smile on his face.

Bokuto gives the best hugs.

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](https://charlie-albus.tumblr.com) | [dreamwidth](https://deducingontheroof.dreamwidth.org)


End file.
